Folding table leg structure



March 14, 1950 A. TAYLOR FOLDING TABLE LEG STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 8, 1945 .i/fariffy jzevenzor' jzzzzrz? jZy/or W/WA My Patented Mar. 14, 19511? sNr 'orFicE Claims.

This invention relates to folding articles of furniture such as tables, chairs and the like.

Among other objects the invention aims to provide an improved folding table of superior rigidity and stability.

Another object is to provide improved means for fastening the legs in folded and unfolded position.

A further object is to provide an improved table designed for easy handling for storage and assembly.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of one illustrative table embodying the invention and shown in the accompanying drawing.

In said drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the table in unfolded or assembled condition;

2 is an elevation at the corner of the table showing the leg units in unfolded and interlocked position;

Fig. 3 is an elevation illustrating the manner of disconnecting the leg units for folding;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the plane l l of Fig. 1 showing the lower portion of a pair of interlocked leg units including the locking latch;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on the plane 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the table with the leg units latched in folded position.

The illustrative table is an elongated table such as is used for dining purposes in clubs, etc., but it will be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific type or shape of table. For convenience in illustration the intermediate portion of the table has been omitted from Fig. l but is shown in bottom plan view in Fig. 6. The top ill may be made of plywood or any other sheet or molded material. Because of its strength and. durability I prefer to use plywood in which the several plies are bonded together by plastic. Th top is advantageously provided with a skirt H preferably of a depth suficient to contain within the plane of its bottom edge all of the folded leg units with no projecting parts.

The legs 52 of which four are sufficient for a six foot table as here shown, comprise pairs of leg units it and i l preferably made of sheet material such as plywood hinged at 55 under the top and inside the skirt ll. Each hinge is advantageously elongated (approximately 6 in the present case) to hold each leg unit rigidly against movement except about the hinge axis. The

' lower edge.

hinges are shown in the present instance connected to the inner face of the skirt H, adjacent the corner, the axes of the hinges of each pair of leg units lying at right angles to each other and located relatively to position the leg units of each pair at right angles to and in contact with each other in unfolded position. Preferably the hinge axes of each pair of units are differently spaced from the top, the difference being equivalent approximately to the thickness of a leg unit (see Fig. 2) so that-the units when folded as illustrated in Fig. 6 will lie flat on each other. The lengths of the respective leg units are adjusted to compensate for the different elevations of their hinged axes.

The respective units of each leg are provided with interlocking means by which they are held as rigidly in unfolded position as though they were one piece and rigidly connected to the top (see Fig. 1). In the present instance the contasting edges of each pair of units are provided respectively with dovetailed mortise and tenon elements H and I8 adapted to interfit when the units are in unfolded position (see Figs. 1 and 2). When thus interlocked the tenon element on the unit it prevents unit it from swinging on its hinge axis, thereby holding it rigidly against movement. Leg unit I' l is interlocked and released simply by swinging leg unit #3 inwardly or outwardly (see Fig. 3) to move the tenon in or out of the mortise H. To permit the outward swinging movement of unit it the lower edge of th skirt H is beveled at 2B (preferably at an angle of about i5") along the inner side of its Likewise the inner corner of the unit 55 is beveled as at 2! so that it may easily be swung clear of the plane of unit i l, which latter may then be folded against the top (see Fig. 6). Thereafter th unit it whose hinged axis is lower than that of unit it may be folded under the top and against the overlying unit 14.

To hold the unit It against movement relative to unit it when the units are interconnected a latching means 23 is provided to engage the unit it. Latching means is here shown in the form of a slidable resilient wire 24 bent on itself to provide a bolt element. 25 and a retaining element 26. The latch is carried by unit I3 and is adapted to slide transversely thereof to cause the tip of the bolt element 25 to enter a registering hole 21 in unit M thereby preventing unit l3 from hinging movement and thus holding the leg units rigidly interconnected. This in conjunction with the wide hinge bases at an angle to each other holds the legs quite as rigidly relative to the table top as though they were immovably connected thereto.

The latch is advantageously mounted in the unit l3 by cutting a slot 23 in the lower end thereof (see Fig. 5). saw kerf which if the leg unit be formed of plywood removes a portion of the center ply. After the latch has been seated in the slot it is then closed by cementing or gluing an insert or filler 29 in the slot. The filler is advantageously provided with a pair of shallow recesses 3! in which the loop 32 of the retaining element is adapted to seat to hold the latch either in locked or unlocked position. The 100p is resiliently pressed into the recesses by coiling the wire of the latch one or more turns at its middle 33 to urge the loop outwardly. The coiled extremity 33 projects outside the leg unit and forms a handle for operating the latch.

The latches are advantageously used to hold the leg units in folded position (see Fig. 6). As there shown the skirt ii is provided with an in wardly projecting latch element or rib 35 having holes 36 adapted to register with the ends of the bolt elements 25 when the leg units 13 are in g folded position. These lying below the leg units I l prevent the latter from unfolding and thus secure the entire table in compact folded condition.

In assembling the table after the latches are withdrawn or released, the leg units are successively folded outwardly and the mortises and tenons interlocked, after which the bolt of the latch on each pair of units is pushed into the hole 2? thereby completing the connection.

To facilitate storing of the tables when not in use they are advantageously provided with friction catches by which a pair of tables may be connected together with the folded legs of one table facing those of the other to provide an assembly with a suiiiciently broad base to stand firmly on edge. The friction catches are here shown in the form of pairs of male and female elements 38 and 39 connected to the underface of the table tops preferably their adjacent ends. As here shown the catch elements are mounted on blocks ll fasteneed to the underface of the table top to position them for engagement with the mating catch on another table. Preferably each table is provided with a female catch ele- I ment at one end and a male element at the other end so that each table is adapted to be interconnected with any other table simply by registering and interengaging the mating catches.

To permit the tables to be slid along a floor in the aforesaid interlocked pairs preparatory to setting up, ball casters 93 or equivalent skid elements are set in the face of the skirt l I on which the tables rest when in storage. Thus a pair of tables may be readily moved without lifting and without injury to the tables. Thumb holes 5 5 are preferably placed in the skirt to permit the tables to be pulled apart until the catches 33 and 33 separate and release the tables. Thus separated the tables may be separately assembled as aforesaid.

Obviously the invention is not limited to the details of the illustrative embodiment thereof since these may be variously modified. Moreover it is not indispensable that all features of the invention be used conjointly since various features may be used to advantage in different combination and subcombinations.

Such slot may simply be a I claim as my invention:

1. In folding articles of furniture the combination comprising folding leg units, one of said units having adjacent its outer end a recess formed by slotting the leg unit, a slidable latch seated in said slot and having a bolt element projecting from the leg unit, and a filler in said recess for holding said latch therein, another of said leg units having a recess for the reception of said bolt element.

2. In folding articles of furniture the combination comprising folding leg units, one of said units having a slot cut in its free end, a slidable latch seated in said slot and having a bolt element projecting from said slot, and an insert cemented in said slot to fill the same and hold said latch in place, another of said leg units having a recess for the reception of said bolt element.

3. In folding articles of furniture the combination comprising folding leg units, one of said units having a slot cut in its free end, a slidable latch seated in said slot, said latch having a resilient retaining member, and an insert cemented in said slot and having a pair of recesses for said retaining member to hold said latch resiliently in locked and unlocked positions, another of said units having means for cooperation with said latch.

4. In folding articles of furniture the combination comprising folding leg units, one of said units having a slot cut in its free end, a resilient wire latch seated in said slot, said wire being doubled on itself to provide a bolt element and a retaining member resiliently movable relatively to said bolt member for holding said latch in locked and unlocked positions, and an insert in said slot to retain said latch and having positioning recesses for said retaining member, another of said leg unit having a recess for the reception of said bolt element.

5. A folding table comprising in combination a table top having a latch element secured thereto and pairs of leg units hinged below it, the hinge axes of the units of each pair located at an angle to each other and being at different elevations so that when the units of each pair are folded against the underface of the top, one unit lies below the other unit, means including a second latch element for interlocking said units when in unfolded position to form a rigid table leg, said second latch element being carried by the lowermost unit and coacting with the first mentioned latch element to retain said unit in folded position thereby to prevent the uppermost unit from unfolding.

AUBURN TAYLOR.

REFERENCES CITED ihe foilowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 154,583 Chormann Sept. 1, 1874 1,0l l,879 Fye Nov. 19, 1912 1,763,671 Rastetter June 17, 1930 1,879,087 Chomik Sept. 27, 1932 1,905,491 Null Apr. 25, 1933 2,050,840 Horr Aug. 11, 1936 2145,73: Rastetter Jan. 31, 1939 2,423,529 Taylor July 8, 1947 

